BBC News
Friday, 19 January, 2001, 17:02 GMT

DU depletes Greek
Kosovo troops

Reports of illness among Balkan veterans are running
rife across Europe

The Greek army has issued an urgent appeal
for volunteers to join its peacekeeping force in
Kosovo, after more than 200 soldiers asked to
be sent home.

The soldiers fear the
effects of depleted
uranium, and the army
is offering high salaries
to those prepared to
replace them.

Another 200 officers
and men who applied
for a posting to Kosovo
have withdrawn their
applications.

The Greek Minister of Defence Akis
Tsochatzopoulos promised that any military
personnel seeking an early return to Greece will
be granted permission to do so.

Most of the Greek
troops serving in
Kosovo are conscripts
and must stay in the
field for six months.

So far, 220 soldiers
stationed in Kosovo
have applied for an
early return, while
another 232 have
chosen to return to
Greece at the end of
their tour.

And out of a list of 375
officers and men who had originally put
themselves down for the Kosovo posting, there
are now only 175 left.

The Greek Government has come under strong
criticism from oppositon parties for its handling
of the matter.

Meanwhile, Mr
Tsochatzopoulos has
accused the United
States of being slow to
warn Nato allies in
Kosovo about its use of
depleted uranium
weapons in the former
Yugoslavia.

The Greek Government assured soldiers on
Thursday that all necessary action had been
taken to protect their health.

According to officials, preliminary
measurements by a team of nuclear scientists
and army doctors sent to Kosovo earlier this
week have failed to show any sign of
contamination among the Greek troops.